Reed took one look behind him before stepping into the same dungeon Lucian and his team ran into. He didn't do it because Thorin ordered him to or because he wanted to please his captain, but his decision was entirely out of his own independent thought. Reed was tired of being held back; he was never going to grow if he didn't fight his own battles and fight off his pure battle instincts.

When he had attacked those who spoke badly about his late brother, something different came alive in him and gave him the strength to use his ability in new ways. Reed didn't know what it was, but he wanted to chase that feeling. If he continues to stay on Thorin's side like a caged rose in a garden that needs to be protected, then he is never going to change. However, with all that thought, Reed didn't expect to find himself in a blizzard.

He wrapped his arms around himself and tried summoning thicker fabric to wear, but his system magic didn't work. The activation of his system only made Reed shiver more in the cold.

Reed looked behind him, hoping that there was a doorway to turn back away from the dungeon, but there was nothing.

"Take, mister." A little voice said, startling Reed.

'A little girl?' Reed thought when he turned to his side and saw that a girl of about 8 to 9 years old was handing a coat over to him. He took the coat and put it on while wondering where the girl came from; it was suspicious because seconds ago, he was sure that he was alone.

Reed draws out his sword and points it at the girl, who then begins to cry out of fear.

"Please spare me; I don't have any money to give you. I'm sorry." The little girl had both of her hands protectively over her head.

'Money?' Reed tilts his head to the side. He hasn't seen any form of currency since he came to Hlasked.

"Are you human?" He asked slowly.

The little girl nodded.

Although she looks human, Reed wasn't convinced. "What's your name?" He asked. It didn't make sense to Reed that a human child was in a dungeon; he questioned himself on how it was possible. Every human he knows who was dragged into the game came from his world, and they were all around his age, but this girl? What was she?

The little girl scratches her head, her face twisted in confusion. "I… I don't remember." She said in a worried tone.

"Where did you come from? What about your parents?" Reed kept the girl at sword's length, still unable to trust her.

The girl smiled and pointed to a distance that couldn't be seen clearly because of the blizzard. "My village is over there; my parents are waiting for me. You must be a foreigner. There are only humans in this world; have you ever met a non-human before?"

Reed considered asking her about Lucian and his team, but he still didn't trust her enough to ask questions relating to his mission; instead, he said, "Take me to your village." Lucian and the others may be there.

It's been days; Reed still hasn't let his guard down. The cold weather was breaking his body down, while his little companion, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. She had offered food and water that had surprisingly been with her; although Reed was tempted, he rejected it.

"How far is it to your village?" Reed asked, out of breath.

"Don't worry, we are almost there." The girl said. For days she had been giving him the same robotic reply, "Take a break if you are tired. A little nap won't hurt."

Reed finds it weird how she was always persistently telling him to sleep; he had forced himself to stay awake for so long, and he doesn't know how long he will be able to hold on. "You aren't human, are you?" Reed lifted his sword; he remembered the dungeon king, who had a human form even though he was a demon. If his guess is right, the girl won't die with one strike. Reed used his blade to cut the little girl down, expecting to see the blood of a beast like he was so used to, but was instead met with human blood and a dead body that wasn't healing itself.

He dropped his sword in fear and shame, thinking to himself that he just murdered an innocent girl. 'She is human.'

"I'm sorry," he muttered and pulled his coat in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was too late; she wasn't breathing.

Tears poured out of Reed's eyes as he brought his knees closer to his chest in defeat. He regretted that he didn't listen to Thorin and stayed away from the dungeon. He shouldn't have let his mind stray with thoughts of Lucian. And now he was a scumbag who killed little girls.

Reed thought that he didn't deserve to bear his brother's name. His brother would never make a mistake so foolish like he has.

He took his sword and considered paying for his sin with his life. Reed placed his sword over his neck with shaky hands, but he couldn't move his hands to kill himself, not because his life wasn't just his own, but also because he was afraid of death. Tossing his sword away in anger, Reed felt like a coward who could never be as brave as his brother. But regardless of what he was, he needed to keep moving. Since the girl he killed was human, that means her village did exist.

Standing to his feet, Reed looked at the dead body by his side and wondered if he should bury it or leave it. He could barely feel his hands; he suspected that it didn't matter what he did, the heavy snow in the dungeon would eventually cover up the body. And so Reed took his sword, wiped away the blood on the snow, and continued his journey.

"Ahhhh!" Reed screamed as something hard struck him behind his head; he lost his consciousness, and beside him stood a grinning, bloody little girl who Reed had thought was dead.

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